"Soul Leadership"

Fred Johnson, CEO of Initiative One in Green Bay, at one of his Last Friday seminars, entitled “Soul Leadership” ...

• “Emotional Intelligence is the main thing these days for a leader … and I think there’s something just beyond that, 'Soul Leadership’.  It’s where you actually ‘love” the people you work with.  Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, when his teams were at their peak effectiveness, said it’s because they love each other.  You are creating an environment where people actually feel loved.”

Some supporting comments:

• After the Great Recession, the percentage of people wanting to leave their companies was at an all-time high, not because of the layoffs … people expected that.  It was because during the aftermath, managers/leaders didn’t treat them as adults … not keeping them informed of what the situations were (miserable as they were), “coddling” them, being paternalistic.  They felt like “assets” used to protect the bottom-line, not treated as a responsible, reliable, trusted adult team member.
• Millennials, we believe, want a “flow” between their personal and work lives … high inclusion, high relationships … which builds Trust and Commitment.  It’s bad when the work culture is such that it is separated from one’s personal life.
• Leadership Development today starts with creating a positive self-awareness that ultimately yields Confidence … confidence that leading the search, asking the questions won’t diminish his/her influence and respect.  Getting out of the organization’s way so they can help solve the problems, deal with the challenges.
• Every process can be derailed if people who use/manage it don’t feel valued as a person.  As the American Airlines CEO said recently after the United Airlines debacle, “Never let process trump people.”
• Good leaders don’t get “burned out.”  They become comfortable with being uncomfortable … and solving the dilemmas that create that discomfort.
• Perfection kills you as a leader.  It’s an addiction to order … which can never be made perfect.